In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of nectarine, peach, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as "Ruby Diamond". The present variety was hybridized in 1983 by use in a cultivated area of our experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif., in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). It was the result of a seedling using Red Diamond Nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,165) as the selected seed parent and an unnamed nectarine seedling as the selected pollen parent. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects.
The fruit produced by the present variety is similar to that of the Summer Grand Nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,879) by maturing in July, by being very productive, and by being freestone in type, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvemnent thereon by producing fruit that ripens 6 days earlier and is full red in skin color over the entire fruit surface.
The present variety is similar to its selected seed parent, the Red Diamond (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,165), in fruit appearance by being a full red colored freestone nectarine with excellent firmness, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by producing fruit that ripens 6 days later, is somewhat larger in size, is more globose in shape, and is sweeter in flavor, and by having a large blossom instead of a small blossom.